King Papers Auction Halted

By Philip Graitcer

Atlanta, GA – After discussions with the King Family, the owner of a Buckhead auction house has agreed not put a collection of papers, speeches, and letters that belonged to Martin Luther King, Jr. up for auction this Sunday.

It was a question of ownership.

The papers were being auctioned on behalf of a childhood friend of King's, who said she received them as a settlement for a debt. But the King family believes the King Estate is the rightful owner of the papers.

Because of this dispute, the papers have been withdrawn from auction while experts determine who is the rightful owner.

Isaac Newton Ferris, Head of the King Center, said that although he is grateful to the woman who stored the papers for 40 years in her basement, they should become part of the King Collection now owned by the City of Atlanta.

FERRIS: We're not really trying to get these papers back for ourselves, we're trying to get them back for the city of Atlanta and Morehouse College.

Ferris believes that these papers should be added to the Collection at no additional cost to the city. The papers had been expected to bring around 300 thousand dollars at auction.